Reports of Donegal’s demise, or even the suggestion of it, has Eoghan Ban Gallagher bristling.
He has had a lot of good days in a Donegal jersey and while the rest of the country might have regarded 2023 as a transition year following the departure of talisman Michael Murphy, the Killybegs defender is having none of it.
In fact, he believes Donegal “are right there” in the chasing pack behind his standout teams of Kerry and Dublin.
When it’s put to him that staying in Division One would be an achievement for a team that was expected to struggle under a new manager and without stellar players like Murphy (retired) and injured trio Paddy McBrearty, Ciaran Thompson and Ryan McHugh, Gallagher said: “I don’t agree with that, now”.
He added: “I think there’s nothing between the teams up around the top.
“Kerry and Dublin are at a level above everyone else and the other seven or eight teams are all fairly close.
“We seen Galway got to an All-Ireland final last year.
“Armagh almost beat them, and we beat Armagh twice last year. Dublin and Kerry are a wee step above but I think we’re right there with the next best.”
